Saving Grace
by Aero-Cluster
Summary: He realizes it's hard to run away from the ghosts of the past, and even harder to chase down the life just within his grasp. AU. Jerza.
1. Six Feet Under

**A/N: I'm back! Sorry to just leave you guys off like that. I feel terrible honestly. So here I am apologizing and I'm not going to make any excuses because I suck.**

**P.S. I'll be updating Poetry In Motion in a couple of days. Oh and just so you know, I've deleted one of my stories, Pushing Up Daisies because I was getting nowhere with it and it just sucked. Bleh. I'll stop now so you can read on. Forgive the mistakes and tell me what you think m'kay? :D**

* * *

**Saving Grace**  
He realizes it's hard to run away from the ghosts of the past, and even harder to chase down the life just within his grasp.

**Chapter One  
****Six Feet Under**

It was raining hard. People who had predicted the downpour brought umbrellas with them and managed to avoid getting themselves wet. A few who had miscalculated the weather were either running down the busy streets to take cover, or were getting soaked like it didn't matter at all. The latter was proven when a man casually walked down the wet pavement of the road, the pitter patter of the raindrops on his cap under the hood of his jacket was like a rhythm that directed the flow of his movement—slow and precise. He crossed the street and stopped in front of a small restaurant.

The soft clanging of a bell signaled his entrance and his dripping form caught quite a lot of attention. He reached the far end of the room and settled down with a man who was sternly looking back and forth from the shady looking guy in front of him and to the foggy view outside the window.

"You weren't followed were you?" Amethyst eyes bore intensely at the hooded figure. His eyes searching for any signs of deceit and treachery. He was good at this—an expert even—because he was known as the head of the first division in the Criminal Investigation Bureau.

"I wasn't. I made sure of that Lahar." the deep and low voice was cool and composed.

The man known as Lahar exhaled.

"Very well. Report."

The man removed his hood and took off his cap. From underneath the clothing concealing his face was a tousled mop of wet ultramarine locks and a striking red tattoo from his right forehead extending all the way down to his cheek.

"It's Kyouka, I've finally gained her trust." With this, Lahar was all ears. A high level of seriousness present on his hardened face. "This time, she's targeting Yajima."

The cop just scoffed, realizing that his guess was right all along.

_That demon bitch! She's targeting another high military official!_

"She'll be at the "Sleepless Town"—Kabukichō tonight at quarter to twelve."

"At Shinjuku? General Yajima is stationed at Shibuya, why would she—" Lahar's eyes widened in confusion. It didn't make any sense as to why Kyouka will be heading to the neighboring city when she could finish said man in Shibuya.

"Yajima and his men are going to conduct an important meeting at a local nightclub as to avoid any suspicion." the ultramarine's lips formed to a thin line and as he frowned. "But as expected, Kyouka was already way ahead of him."

"Very well. I must contact and relay the message to the general. I'll also prepare my men for the encounter tonight." he sighed. "One more thing. Will she be doing this alone like she usually does?"

Purple bled into green. The man who relayed out the information shook his head.

"No, I will be with her tonight."

Lahar smirked. It had been a while since the last time he smiled. Maybe it was because that they finally have a chance of capturing one of the most notorious killers in Japan; the one who was responsible for all the deaths of most of the military leaders.

And this man, this very man in front of him, the double agent who had been working for him in the past couple of months was their trump card.

"Then I expect to see you again after we've delivered, Jellal."

* * *

Jellal hadn't warned the head policeman that one shouldn't count chickens before they hatched. The operation was failing, the nightclub's a wreck, the majority of the cops were dead before they were in action and Lahar with a few couple of other policemen were the only ones left. Kyouka had brought along three of her best men as skilled as her and that was the reason the mission was in ruins. If Lahar and Jellal had known, they wouldn't have taken her lightly and the head officer might've brought along ten more men. Luckily, they've managed to kill all three of her accomplices, leaving her all alone. Still, taking her with only a few men and ammunition was still a hard task.

He hissed in pain as the wound on his shoulder throbbed. Apparently, Lahar wasn't as clever as the locals described him. He was a complete idiot for not even mentioning that yes, Jellal was on their side before the operation had begun. Now, he was one of their targets too because Lahar had his hands full on the mastermind Kyouka.

_Damn that cop! The least he could do was tell his subordinates!_

Jellal tore his shirt and wrapped his torn flesh, grunting in the process as he applied pressure on it. This was it. There was no turning back now. The battlefield they're in is filled with nothing but bullets and rubbles. He was sure as hell that if he made even the tiniest of mistakes, he'd be sending one foot to the grave. The ultramarine had already devised a plan in his head where drastic measures had to be taken. He wasn't an idiot. It was either to blow his cover as a double agent working for the police, or be killed by the police. If he were to die now—and the odds were remarkably high—he'd die as a martyr. Not a goddamned accomplice of a murderer.

Lahar then directed his men to secure General Yajima while he pursued Kyouka alone and Jellal, knowing the difference between the two, rose to his feet and ran outside. The victor of this clash wouldn't be measured in feats of strengths or wits or ranks. It will be measured on whose mindset was to kill. And Lahar didn't have that. What he had in mind was justice, which was soon going to be his downfall. He rallied past confused crowds with his lungs burning in fatigue and lack of air. His vision was getting hazy from blood loss and the rain just wasn't letting up. He knew he'd be in trouble if he kept this pace up or if he even tried to rescue Lahar.

He heard a gunshot from a nearby alley and decided to check it out. Placing all his strength left on his feet, he dashed onwards and he was just in time for the second bullet to hit the chest of Lahar as he slumped to the ground.

"Jellal, you're still alive?" If the tone in her voice was out of surprise or disgust, he didn't know. Right now he was still the trump card. He still had her trust and right at that moment, he was focused more on killing this whore. As he was about to pull the glass shard stuck on his left thigh to flake her skin out, a third gunshot had his right ear ringing at the proximity of the sound.

Kyouka was hit on her forearm but it wasn't enough to make her fall. It was quite the opposite in fact; she avoided the remaining shots fired at her with inhuman speed, shooting the rookie officer on his leg. He was lucky that it was her last bullet, because if she still had another round of ammunition, he'd be having much more holes than a cheese grater. But this was a sadistic killer they're facing, and Kyouka doesn't leave anyone who had witnessed her vulgar act of slaughtering people alive. Jellal quickly moved, slashing at the officer's face who refused to surrender to fear. Jellal kicked the cop hard on his stomach and watched as he blacked out on the muddy ground.

"We have to get moving." he told her in between pants.

"He isn't dead yet." Kyouka's cold and sinister voice sent shivers down the ultramarine's spine. He gritted his teeth, if he failed to save Lahar, the least he could do is save at least one of his men.

"No he isn't, and the lot of them still aren't. I can hear them coming and we're outnumbered. We have to go now." Jellal was grateful that the pouring rain was there to aid his lies. There weren't thundering footsteps or hushed orders in the distance, but the gloomy weather was enough to convince her.

"Fine! Get in the truck!" she barked at him, and Jellal took the wheel and drove. He made a sharp turn to the left and zoomed past the streets. It only took him a few minutes before reaching the national highway. They've managed to escape and luckily, they've left no trail. It was time to take things up a notch, Jellal thought and as he planned to use the trust she had in him against her, he stepped on the gas pedal, rapidly bringing the speedometer's numbers to a hundred.

"You're going too fast!" she hissed, holding onto his arm with a vice-like grip. Jellal ignored her and kept on increasing the speed, ignoring the numbness that was settling on the foot that was on the gas pedal. Kyouka tried to grab a hold of the steering wheel but the ultramarine was already set on track.

There at the road ahead of them was a dangerous curve, and at the bottom of it was a deep ravine. He kept his foot firmly glued to the gas pedal even if Kyouka was raking her fingernails at him. Realizing that there was no way to stop him, she prepared to jump right out of the truck. Jellal grabbed her arm and handcuffed her to the steering wheel. It was a hopeless case for her now; even if she managed and tried to make the turn, at the speed that they're going, there was only one way the truck was headed.

"You're going to hell with me bitch."

* * *

The first thing that enveloped him was darkness, then it was followed by the stinging pain in his head. Jellal slowly opened his eyes, dim light flooding his vision.

"Oh god. You're finally awake." Jellal knew that voice. It was so familiar that even without his sight, he'd still manage to identify to whom it belonged to.

"U-Ultea-r? Where am I?" he croaked, head spinning as he tried to motion his head to look at her.

"We're at an abandoned warehouse in Shinjuku. It was the farthest place my Jetta could take us in your condition." Ultear wrung a wet cloth before wiping the remaining dirt and dried blood off of his chest.

"What happened?" Jellal forced himself to sit up but the female's hands pinned him down.

"Don't strain yourself. I did just finish patching you up."

"What happened?"

Ultear sighed.

_What is it with men and details? Can't he just say thank you and inquire later?_

"You were lucky I was in the area. Hell, you were lucky that I was only a few cars away. Meredy and I found you lying on the ground, just a few meters away from the truck that exploded. What the hell happened to you?"

Jellal sighed. It was right at the split second when the truck was about to hit the ground did his reflex work. He kicked open the truck's door and jumped out just in time for the crash. That was also the time that he blacked out.

"I—We were in the middle of an operation and," the sour memory of Lahar's slumped body on the floor made the bile rise to his throat. "Lahar was killed."

Ultear swallowed but the shock was evident on her face. She bit her lower lip, trying her hardest to suppress the aftershock of the groundbreaking news. He was her boss too after all.

"I just don't know if Yajima made it out alive." he grunted, massaging his temple with a free hand.

"Who was it?"

Suddenly flashes of the horrible tragedy played in his mind and he bolted upright from where he was lying.

"Kyouka! Was she in the truck? Did you find her body?" Jellal grabbed both of Ultear's wrists and the woman just shook her head and frowned.

"No. I didn't bother to check. The truck was a wreck and your safety was my priority."

"Kyouka's a mass murderer! You should've checked on her first before me!" he yelled at her but Ultear just remained stoic as she slapped him.

"I would've if I had known."

Jellal sank back into bed. She was right. If Ultear had known, she would've done so because she was a cop, and she had always worked for the greater good.

"If this involved the case of Kyouka," her features suddenly darkened. "Do the other officers know?"

Jellal slowly shook his head as he let out a weary breath.

"No. That goddamned Lahar failed to brief them. Now I'm a wanted man. You and Lahar are the only ones who knew."

"I can fake your death if you want to. I am a member of the Medical Examiner's Group anyway."

Jellal considered this as a great deal but right now, the city's cops were probably at the wreckage and right about now, they must've found Kyouka's body charred ultimately. There was no need to fake his death because nobody but Lahar and Ultear knew.

"No. Faking my death would only raise suspicions. Besides, the police would overlook me if somehow, they don't recover her body. Searching for her is going to be their top priority. If however, they did find her body, they would be too busy celebrating and my existence would be just the same as the shadows. I'm insignificant."

Ultear weighed his words and decided that he was right.

"But there is something I want you to do for me." Jellal stated, and even if his body was in tatters, his mind was still in one piece. No wonder Lahar picked him as one of his secret agents. "I want you to change my identity. Change everything. Make sure to erase Jellal Fernandes from all the records. Can you do that for me?"

"Give me a whole week."

Jellal nodded in approval as he closed his eyes. He was tired. He was exhausted from living this kind of life. A life that never suited his tastes and principles to begin with. It was time to let go of this kind of living and start living for himself. It was time to stop working in the shadows and stop taking the blame for everything that he had saved.

It was now time to see the light.

"Oh, you might want to change your hair color, and probably schedule for a laser surgery to remove that tattoo on your face. That might blow the cover away."

"There's no need." Jellal grunted.

"You have to take extra care. You are still a wanted man after all, and there's no guarantee that the police won't be issuing a warrant of arrest for you."

"That's why you're in the picture Ultear. You're going to fake my identity. Make me Jellal Fernandes's twin brother."

"Nobody's going to buy that." she flatly stated.

"I told you, I am a nobody. I've got no family left. However, if there's someone that looks a lot like me, living in some remote area, the warrant is issued, I'm seen and then an interrogation happens, they look at the records that you faked and I'm cleared."

Ultear narrowed her eyes. He's good. Too good to be true. Where the hell did Lahar manage to fish him out? Was he a retired member of an intelligence agency? But he's so young!

"You'd really go far as to fake a twin brother rather than change you face?"

He smirked.

"This face gets the ladies."

Ultear rolled her eyes. The mood seemed lighter than earlier and she wondered if that was one of his intentions as well.

"Be careful alright? I don't want you and Meredy getting involved." he said with much sincerity laced in his voice.

"When was the last time that we didn't get involved?" she shrugged, taking his words far too lightly.

"Ultear, I'm serious. After this, don't get involved with me anymore. I might be an asshole for not returning the favor but trust me, it's for the best." he stated and Ultear held his gaze. She dabbed at his wounded shoulder and he winced in pain. "Ouch woman, what the hell?"

"You'll pay your debts in full when you keep Meredy and I in contact. Got that?"

He heaved a weary sigh. This woman was stubborn indeed.

"Look Ultear—"

"It's that or the whole deal's off."

Jellal pressed his mouth to form a thin line before muttering to himself.

"Fine."

He heard her squeal in delight as she resumed cleaning his wounds.

"Hey,"

"What?"

"Your name."

"What about my name?"

Ultear rolled her eyes.

"What is your name going to be? Do I get to pick or do you get to decide?"

His mouth formed a small "o" when it dawned on him. Ultear thought he wasn't that much of a genius after all if he can't even decide on a name.

"Well?" she asked when he awfully became quiet all of a sudden.

"Siegrain. Siegrain Fernandes. The twin brother of Jellal Fernandes."


	2. Far, Far Away

**A/N: Don't know much about Japan's geography so if I made a mistake, please tell me. :)**

He realizes it's hard to run away from the ghosts of the past, and even harder to chase down the life just within his grasp.

Chapter Two

Far, Far Away

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to take a couple more days to rest?"

The dark-haired woman was in the middle of packing pile after pile of clothes after she was finished stacking up a generous amount of food inside one bag. She had asked the same question over and over again in a single day and Jellal was getting tired of repeating himself.

"I've wasted the whole week lying in bed and getting nothing done." he removed the last bandage and tested his newly healed shoulder by giving it a couple of light twists and rotations. It hurt still, but now the pain was bearable. Ultear handed him a black muscle shirt before tossing a beige-colored hoodie. He caught it in mid-air and immediately slipped them on.

"Any news from the forensic division?" he asked, and Ultear could feel his eyes boring in to her back.

She sighed and drank from her cup, the dark circles under her eyes were a solid proof that she had been working nonstop for the past few days. Jellal actually would let her rest until she was in the mood to talk, but the matter at hand was simply far too important to just pass up.

"You know it takes about several weeks to issue an official announcement." Jellal ran a hand through tousled cerulean locks.

"There are still no results from the autopsy?"

Ultear leaned at a rusty pillar situated inside the abandoned warehouse before answering his question. Kyouka's body was found at about an hour when Ultear called the police. She was literally roasted alive and the extensive burns that covered her body almost made it impossible to identify that it's her. Kyouka was found just right beside the truck where the police conferred that she managed to crawl out—there was a broken handcuff on her wrist and the other half was linked on the broken steering wheel—and died right after a couple of minutes.

"None. I believe it's still going to take several weeks. They have to do other tests, probably a follow-up analysis on her dental records since she was burnt pretty bad that they couldn't make use of her hair samples. If an extensive study isn't needed, we'll be lucky to have the results in two to three weeks and six to eight weeks before it gets into public."

The ultramarine nodded slowly and Ultear watched him as he silently put the pieces together in his mind.

"Who's performing the examination?"

"Our division head, General Crawford Seam."

"I see," Jellal thought that it was only fitting that someone as respectable and experienced in the field of forensic pathology should handle the case.

Ultear tossed him a heavy bag and it landed on the ultramarine's chest with an audible thud. Clearly that one had got to hurt seeing as he snarled at her, glaring at the woman who was visibly enjoying a cup of hot chocolate with a smug on her face.

"Stop brooding. It's contagious you know?"

Jellal scoffed in mock annoyance. Ultear laughed at this and softly spoke.

"I'm sorry I didn't bring Meredy with me."

"It's fine. Besides, we don't want her getting involved with a fugitive."

"You're not—"

"Thanks Ultear."

She didn't get to finish her sentence as she was rendered speechless and surprised by his sudden outburst of gratitude. Ultear offered a warm smile in return. She figured that there was a limit with what words can express and realized that there was a lot more meaning in a simple act.

"You know," Jellal chuckled. "It's good that you didn't bring me to the hospital when you saw me all bloody and lifeless. Didn't want the hospital to record everything which would've fucked everything up so thanks."

"Well, seeing as you have a bad reputation of fucking yourself up, I really had no choice but to do the right thing."

Jellal laughed at this.

"But seriously, you're going to have to start living right."

"Ah, I get that a lot."

Ultear glared at him.

"No you don't. And stop being a freaking martyr. Not everyone's worth it so start living selfishly—a moderate selfish kind of living I mean. You got that?"

"Yes ma'am." Jellal slung the backpack on his good shoulder and grabbed a couple more hand carried bags.

"You're a good man Jellal." he knew this was her parting message. It was time to leave and he didn't want to cause his good friend any more trouble. He was going to start off fresh and as hard as it was on his part to leave Ultear and Meredy be, it was for their safety. It was for the best.

"Thanks for the reminder." he donned his baseball cap on and smiled at her one final time.

"Don't forget to contact us when you reach Otaru."

"Do I have to?" he teasingly asked and she just gave him a slap on the arm.

"Yes, or I'm going to have to arrange a trip to Otaru myself. Don't try me Jellal." she warned and Jellal, knowing her full well, believes that she'll stay true to her word.

"I will, and that's Siegrain to you."

If he had known that the Ultear specifically chose the remote area in Hokkaido, he wouldn't have given her the authority to do so. The trip was a gruesome twelve hour journey from trains and now to a ferry. Jellal still had a full three—if he was lucky—long hours to endure to reach his destination.

"She could've settled for Kyoto, or Osaka, or Fukushima, but she had to choose the northern side of the country!" he grumbled to himself, disturbing a couple of old people who were out on the deck. He sighed whether in relief or fatigue, that he couldn't decide on himself. This was definitely something new for him. If he was his old self, travelling and starting over wouldn't even cross his mind; the years and the people around him had changed him and he was thankful for that.

Jellal didn't really know what to feel. But if there was one feeling that was taking over, it was fear. Fear of being accepted into society. Fear of fitting in. Fear of—

_You're a good man Jellal._

He closed his eyes and let the sea's humid air brush his face.

_Ultear's right, and I don't have to fear anything._

* * *

A thirty minute train ride marked the end of his long trip. The place was absolutely breathtaking; it looked exactly like the place was taken out from a tourist guide book with the gleaming view of the Ishikari Bay, the beautiful mountain slopes from the distance and the old, historical buildings that made Jellal feel like he was in a different period. The place was peaceful just as Ultear had told him. It was the perfect place to start anew.

He breathed in the crisp, cold air and headed towards his first destination. As hungry as he was, he had already lost his appetite due to the gruesome trip, so before anything else, he searched for the perfect place to spend the night, and possibly his whole stay in the region.

He reached a certain area in Otaru named Hill Town and compared to the area near the harbor point, this one was situated as its name suggests, overlooking the wonderful view of the bay and the steep slopes of the mountain ranges. It was secluded from the busy ports below with just a few residents in the area. For the ultramarine, this was the best way to start; not too remote and not too popular either and being a new resident, he figured he could work his way from the top of the hill to the bottom, where people usually go through.

Jellal crossed out one of his agenda and settled down for a bit. The next one on his list was to find a job. He knew he couldn't keep the money Ultear had loaned him for the next couple of days because he'd run out eventually if he can't find a decent job.

"Alright," his stomach rumbled in protest as he sighed wearily. "Guess I'll have to eat first. The job can wait."

He walked down a couple of blocks wearing the hoodie Ultear had given him and entered the first restaurant he saw. It was a small place and had a crude name for a restaurant—Bisland—the inside was plain compared to the flashy and neon lights that decorated the place. Jellal smiled as the atmosphere had a homey feel to it. Realizing that he had zoned out for a little while, he was surprised to see the place full. There were no more seats available and he sighed.

"Great..." he muttered to himself as he prepared to leave. He was just about to reach out for the door handle when someone called out to him.

"Hey!" Alarmed, he spun his head to where the voice came from and knitted his brows, pointing a finger at himself. The female nodded and Jellal approached her cautiously.

"You can share seats with me if that's alright with you." she offered and Jellal just stared at her. She was the first person who actually showed kindness to him when he had set foot in Otaru. He calmly took a seat opposite hers and stared at her intensely. Does she know who he was? Was she one of Kyouka's minions and was sent to slaughter him?

"Is there...something on my face?" the woman who raised a brow in confusion asked, placing her cup of coffee down as she ran a hand over her cheek.

"Oh, sorry I didn't mean to stare. That was rude of me." _Keep it together Fernandes and stop overanalyzing things._

"Here." she passed on a list of menu that was laid across the table and Jellal gingerly took it from her.

She let out an amused laugh, a sound that Jellal found very pleasing to his ear.

"I don't bite." And she flashed her pearly whites at him.

"I'm sorry, I don't usually socialize." he replied softly, his voice barely audible.

"Hmm...you a tourist?" she asked, keeping her warm gaze glued to his phthalo orbs.

"I just moved in." he said simply, keeping things short and clipped. He was careful about giving information because of the risks of being identified as a fugitive. As of now, he himself was the only person he can trust.

"Oh. Jingisukan."

"I'm sorry?"

The stranger grabbed the menu right out of his hands and pointed to a certain dish that made him blink in surprise.

"Jingisukan. If you're a new resident, you should try this. It's this restaurant's specialty."

"Oh...okay." Jellal absent-mindedly called for the waitress and turned his order. Once he was done, he dropped his gaze on the table, refusing to converse anymore with the redhead.

"You don't talk too much do you?"

He sighed.

"I'm not good with people." Jellal confessed and the remaining minutes agonizingly floated away slowly and Jellal wished that he shouldn't have taken her offer of sharing the table, or better yet, wished that the redhead should just stand up and leave. The waitress who took his order came back with a convex metal skillet.

The aroma of the lamb's meat was enough to make him gulp and salivate but the latter he chose to gulp down because the redhead from across the table was eyeing him intently with a smile on her face.

"It's...it's good." he complimented, the remark coming out as honest as he had intended it to be.

The lady just chuckled and finished her cup of coffee. She grabbed her coat and prepared to leave.

"I have to go. Welcome to Hill Town, um..." her hand was outstretched in front of her and Jellal gingerly grabbed her hand and was taken by surprise at how soft it was. He thought that hand would be just like her face—hard and stern—but it was soft, and pliant. He gave a warm smile before his eyes lit up with mischief.

"Ultramarine." he chuckled and she smiled playfully at this.

"Nice to meet you Ultramarine, I'm Scarlet."

Jellal's grin broadened as the woman tossed her red hair aside, emphasizing her point of playing this game he had started himself. He shrugged in defeat and ran a hand through tousled cerulean locks.

"My apologies. It's actually Je—Siegrain."

"Jeseigrain?" she tested the his name and frowned. "Hmm, that's a peculiar name indeed."

He laughed.

"Siegrain. Siegrain Fernandes."

She returned his smile.

"Erza. Erza Scarlet."

Jellal nearly choked on the meat that he shoved in his mouth as he made an incoherent and sloppy noise.

"What? You're not kidding when you introduced yourself as Scarlet?"

She smirked at him, making him grab a glass of water.

"No I was not and I had assumed that you really were named Ultramarine." The woman named after a shade of red bowed her head and bid goodbye. "I hope you'll enjoy your stay in Otaru Mister Fernandes."

Jellal waved back to her, smiling genuinely as he put an end to the conversation.

"Oh, I already am Miss Scarlet."

* * *

**A/N: Next, Jellal finds a job and meets the locals**


End file.
